Things to do in Jiaocheng

Jinci Temple is located within a park. The scenery along the road from the park to Jinci Temple is beautiful, especially the golden leaves of the ginkgo trees swaying in the breeze. The ancient buildings and trees within Jinci Temple bear the weight of history and are well worth appreciating.

The blue-brick courtyard houses the stories of Shanxi merchants, each brick and tile a testament to their family traditions. Exquisite carvings and inscribed plaques reveal the family mottoes, allowing one to understand the Shanxi business spirit within these deep courtyards. Red lanterns illuminate the ancient courtyard, each step a testament to craftsmanship—truly a gem of northern folk architecture.

Beautiful scenery, high play experience, thrilling

Guashan is located at the eastern foot of Jiaocheng Mountain in Luliang, Shanxi Province, 3 kilometers north of Jiaocheng County. Guashan is named after the surrounding peaks that resemble a hexagram. The pine and cypress trees on the mountain are in various shapes and are evergreen all year round. There are many mysterious folk legends. It is regarded as a natural Taoist temple by Taoists and has a profound cultural heritage. There are scenic spots such as Tianning Temple, Cast Iron Stele, Pilu Pavilion, and Tang Huai Mountain, which were founded in the first year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty (627). It is a tourist attraction in Shanxi that integrates natural scenery and ancient temples. Mi Fu, a calligrapher and painter in the Song Dynasty, ranked it among the three mountains and five peaks and praised it as the "first mountain".

Shanxi Pangquangou National Nature Reserve is located at the junction of the northwest of Jiaocheng County and the northeast of Fangshan County in Shanxi Province, in the middle section of the Luliang Mountains. It is a wild animal and plant nature reserve, and its main protected objects are the rare brown pheasant unique to China and its habitat. The reserve includes natural landscapes such as "Sunrise on the Cloud Top", "Longquan Waterfall", "Brush Holder Shining", "Wenyuan Late Green", "Ancient Tree Pagoda", "Tianmen Auspicious Air", "Lion Sunset", "Phoenix Viewing Tower", "Stone Pig Suffering", "Wind-Moving Stone", and "Immortal Cave".

From the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Xuanzhong Temple was successively inhabited by the three great patriarchs of the Pure Land Sect of Chinese Buddhism. The belief in the Pure Land of Amitabha spread rapidly from the scholar class to the Chinese people, and then established a sect and spread to Korea and Japan. Xuanzhong Ancient Temple became another ancestral temple of the Pure Land Sect of Chinese Buddhism after the Donglin Temple of Mount Lu. You can reach Jiaocheng by car from Taiyuan to the southwest. Xuanzhong Temple is more than ten kilometers west of Jiaocheng County.

Worthy of being a Ming and Qing dynasty ancient county town and a World Cultural Heritage site, its biggest highlight is its complete ancient city layout, with four main streets, eight alleys, and seventy-two winding lanes forming a "土" (earth) shaped framework. The streets and alleys resemble the patterns on a tortoise shell. It also features the history of Shanxi merchants' banks and ancient architectural relics.

Taiyuan Botanical Garden is definitely worth a visit. It's not just a simple park; it's a large ecological space that integrates nature exploration, photo opportunities, and relaxation. Whether you want to bring your kids to get close to nature or take beautiful landscape photos, this place has you covered. Photo enthusiasts should head to the starry sky elevator and the three greenhouses—wearing light-colored clothing will result in better photos. Families with children can visit the petting zoo, feed the swans, and enjoy a leisurely sightseeing bus tour. The best strategy is to enter the park at 3 PM to experience both the daytime and nighttime views in one go.

The old town was rather deserted. The art exhibition was quite nice, though a bit over the top. But the park at the exit was absolutely gorgeous. Winding paths led to secluded spots, and unexpected beauty unfolded.

Zhenguo Temple is a hidden gem of an ancient temple in Pingyao, not widely known but rich in historical significance. The Wanfo Hall is a rare example of a Five Dynasties wooden structure, over a thousand years old. Its imposing and simple bracket sets, constructed without a single nail, have stood the test of time, making it a living fossil of wooden architecture. The painted sculptures inside retain their original Five Dynasties appearance, with a dignified and weighty style, a stark contrast to the lively Ming Dynasty sculptures of Shuanglin Temple. The temple is serene and quiet, with few tourists, perfect for slowly appreciating the beauty of its ancient architecture. If you appreciate ancient architecture, after visiting Shuanglin Temple, a stopover at Zhenguo Temple offers a unique and worthwhile experience, allowing you to understand the architecture and sculptures of different eras.